Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

Mugs-day pics

Scarlett
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Coco
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Ruby
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Sassy
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I am in awe of Scarlett and her wattles

 

[BY Bob]

Mugs-day pics

Scarlett
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Coco
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Ruby
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Sassy
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Those are some gorgeous mugs.

 

[BY Bob]

I have the same exact one, no issues at all. After the first week I tilted it so it was higher on one side then the other. The chicks could then choose how much heat they preferred. I liked this and they seemed to as well.

The tilt works really well.

 

[Ponypoor]

They are not lounging on it. But at roosting time they did file up and stand on it today, waiting their turn to go in. I had a smaller mock porch board in place with the ladder gone for two days while I worked each afternoon for a while on a template for the "real" one and tested with the ladder. I found a poop on that today, so maybe that's an Inaugural Sign? Somebody paused long enough for that!

I do have a roosting story, from the first day with the mock board and the ladder gone: Popcorn was the bravest when I showed them all the new porch idea, and put some scratch on it. Popcorn was the only one brave enough to jump-fly up and get the scratch.

So when it came time to roost, she was all in, except Hazel kept chasing her away. Popcorn wants to roost earlier than the others. Plus she is often not allowed to until everyone else has gone in, and Hazel (sometimes Butters) enforces that. But now Hazel was stalling with this new thing. She is the most nervous about things, and usually uses the ladder, so she kept walking back and forth along the edge, craning her neck, examining it, probably doing all kinds of calculus. Everyone else, except Popcorn, pondered and hesitated with this new thing.

Popcorn kept approaching the edge to jump-fly up ("What's the big deal?") but Hazel kept chasing her away, and Popcorn would circle away and come back to try again. That happened a few times. Finally she made a short fake-out circle and zoomed right past Hazel and up onto the porch. She practically ran into the coop. That was good enough for everybody else and they too jump-flew up, except Hazel. She hesitated but eventually bit the bullet. She's not usually last to roost!

I missed the order tonight, except I did see someone using the reinstalled ladder, and someone, probably Popcorn but it may have been Butters (tail feathers), waiting on the new porch.

I love all their different personalities

 

[BY Bob]

Bob, you have a rent-a-coop brand heat plate, correct? Do you recall what the temperature range of the plate is? The one I bought is from 40 to 45°C. If I give them a big enough brooder, I can set up both and let them choose. LOL. If I can get the heat plate to keep them happy, I do prefer that, as it’s lower wattage. Even if the power went out, I could keep it warm.

I would really have to go to the storage unit and look. Luckily for you I need to take the Christmas decorations out tomorrow. I will check when I'm there.

 

[Ponypoor]

Precious! Here was my older model with better design:
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Darn it! That’s it ! All this baby talk, baby pictures, awesome crazy momma’s nesting on cliff faces, that’s just it! I will let my gals have babies - I will order pullets as soon as I get home! I am sure someone will be broody by then! Ok everyone?

 

[BY Bob]

I would really have to go to the storage unit and look. Luckily for you I need to take the Christmas decorations out tomorrow. I will check when I'm there.

I checked the order on Amazon and it says "Heats between 105 and 110 degrees F". That would be 40.5 to 43.3 °C. Mine has a dial control I can install to set the temp to what I want. Mostly I just adjust the height. The chicks tell me if they need more or less heat by their behavior.

 

[BY Bob]

I am in awe of Scarlett and her wattles

They are special wattles. That comb as well!

 

[Ponypoor]

what?!

The Cream Legbars currently not available?! Sure hope they are for May when I am home and I have 8 broodies all wanting chicks!!!

 

[BY Bob]

Darn it! That’s it ! All this baby talk, baby pictures, awesome crazy momma’s nesting on cliff faces, that’s just it! I will let my gals have babies - I will order pullets as soon as I get home! I am sure someone will be broody by then! Ok everyone?

Chicken Math strikes again! ️️️️